The McDead

Book excerpt: Chief Inspector Roberts combs London for the Irish gangster who killed his brother in “the most striking and original crime [series] of the decade” (British GQ). With his personal life all but flushed down some deep dark hole, Chief Inspector Roberts is waiting for the next punch to the heart. Working with his Irish partner, Detective Sergeant Brant, in a London precinct so dangerous even the pit bulls travel in pairs, Roberts is prepared for almost anything—just not the murder of his sad and wasted transient brother, Tony. The thug responsible for it is an ex-con named Logan who’s established himself as the south side’s smartest: a master of money laundering, quick hits, and outrunning the cops. His only weakness is his temper—and it’s about to bring his sordid empire tumbling down. Roberts is going to see to that . . . “Fans of British procedurals and noir novels will savor every speck of grit in this unrelenting crime novel.” —Booklist